whitelaw



(No Model.)

H. W. WHITELAW. BREECH LOADING GUN.

No. 449,988. Patentd Apr. 7, 1891.

Wflness ES. ImIenTnr Unites rates l aiitni owin BREECH-LOADING con.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 l9,988, dated April'7', 1891.

Application filed June 4,1890. Serial No. 354,213. No model.)

and cartridge-firing mechanism of consideri able simplicity.

' The nature of these improvements and the manner in which I proceed toconstruct and apply thesame will be'understood from the followingdescription and the accom 'ianying drawings, in which the: improvementsare shown as applied to the construc ion of a repcating-pistol carryinga number of cartridges in the handle.

Figure l is a side viewof the pistol, with a portion of the handle andadjacent parts in section to show the internal construction. Figs. 2 and3show details of the mechanism in section and on an enlarged scale.

The mechanism operates both the breechblock and the firing-pin from asingle trigger or finger-piece, and the movement that opens theorcech-blockto expel the empty shelland feed in a fresh cartrit go isproduced by the recoil of a spring, which is compressed by the force orpressure of the finger that brings back the breech-block into place. Anincrease or continuation of pressure on the tinger-piece in the samedirection throws the firing-pin into action, and thus by the samemovement of the finger the weapon is charged and tired.

Thebreech-hlock A is titted to slide smoothly in a chamber 13*, which isarearward e.\'- tension of the "barrel l3, and is open at one side,- asfrom b to d, Fig. 2, for discharge of the empty shell. 'lheblock slideson the top of the stock and covers and uncovers the opening d, throughwhich the cartridges pass from the receptacle 1) into the chamber.

A. is aslide-bar carrying arack E to engage in toothed disk G andconnected at the end to the front ot the breech-block. The disk ismounted for rotation on a stud or axlcg,and portions of its rim havetoothed segments, while the remaining portions are cut: away. On thesame center and tired to the segment-disk is a similar disk llof smallerdiam-H.

etei','lia\'ing a toothed portion 71 to engage the teeth I of theslide-bar K, while it is held in guides in the bottom of the casing M,in line with the smaller toothed segment, and is tit-- ted therein toslide smoothly. f

L is a trigger or linger-piece rigidly tixed to the bottom of the slideK and set'tingthroug-h...

the slot m in the opening to be seized by the forefinger oi the handthat grasps the stock for drawing back the slide-bar, and b is a springin a chamber in the stock or the casing behind the slide-bar soarraugt'ed-that it; will be compressedby thepull on the linger-piece,and is ot suitable strength when released to impel the slide-barforward. 'lhese two movements, acting upon the disk (it through thesmaller disk, open and close the breechblock, the long throw of thebreech-block being produced from a short movement of the slide-bar bysuitably proportioning the diameters of the two disks. I

At the ex trcme forward position of the slide K the brecclrblock shouldbe full open and the spring relaxed, so that the return movement of theslide brings forward the breechblock into place against the barrel andat the same time compresses the spring, that by subsequent reaction whenreleased throws the slide forward and opens the breech-block.

The slide is held back against the spring in readiness for firing by alock or catch, which 1 apply directly to the slide as the simplest modeof controlling the'slido, and one that is operated in tiring by the samepressure of the finger that actuatcs the tiring-inn. In the finger istaken from the trigger.

position the slide is free to move. The rear stop sets above the line ofthe frontstop, so that. when the slide-bar is drawn back over it thespring is thrown up into the slide-bar and locked in that position. Itwill then clear the front stop when the pressure-is taken from thetrigger and the spring allowed to act. The stop at the front end of thecas' ing sets in line with the upright end of the spring-tongue and actsto throw it clear of the shoulder at the moment that the slide reachesthe extreme end of its forward throw. I The catch is then free to engagewith the front notch when the slide is drawn back. As the catch dropsbehind the front stop the breech-block is closed and the parts are inposition for firing; but as the rear stop is higher than the front stopit offers suflicientrcsistance to the catch to indicate that theslidebar has reached the end of movementnccessary to close and lock thebreech-block. Now by iucreasing 'the pressure on the tingcr-pnll thefiring-pin is operated, and this additional movement of the slide bringsthe catch over the rear stop and sets it clear of both stops, so thatthe slide is well forward when the The firing-pin \V is set in a recessin the breech-block, and consists'ot the pin with a broad heath-behindwhich a spring \Y' is set in the recess of suitable strength to throwthe pin forward. The pin is held'back. by a springtongue Y at. one sideof the breech-block chamber, with its free end projecting in the path ofthe head W of the pin, and this end is so arranged with respectto theend ot'a bolt N that the-spring is drawn away from the firing-pin by theupward throw of the bolt, and

is released and caused .to engage'the tiringpin by a contrary movement.in the guides '11 in the casing and have a toothed portion to engage thetoothed segment. G on the disk. These parts are adjusted to come intogear in the backward movement of the s'lide-bar just before the catchreaches the front stop and throw the bolt into the slot n in the bottomof the breech-block just as the latch comes into place between the twostops. An additional upward movement of the bolt is required to reachthe firing-pin, and this is produced by the next movement backward ofthe slide, the segment G bcingin gear with the bolt; at such time, andthe longer segment G being clear of the rack E.

.spring is compressed,

The bolts work to feed the cartridges upward, and the openingin the sideof the stop is titled \vitha sliding cover D-.

It will be noticed that the bolt N locks the breech-block when closedand also operates the firing mechanism. It is titted in its guide tomove with some friction, so that it remains stationary wherever set.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a repeating tirearm, thecombination, with the slidingbreech-block, of a rack attached thereto, a toothed disk having gearedsegments of two different diamcte rs, the la rgcr one of'which isadapted to engage the rack of the breech-block, a slide-barhavingatoothed portion adapted to engage the toothed segmcnt of smallerdiameter, a trigger or fingerpiccc on said slide-bar, a spring applied-bchind said slide-bar, and a catch or lock arranged to hold back saldslide-bar when the substantially as described. I,

2. In combination with thetoothbd disk and sliding breech-block gearedinto said disk and adapted to be opened and closed by the rotationthereof, the bolt N,gcarcd into said disk and entering a recess in thebreech-block to lock the same when closed.

3. In combination withthe slideand breechblock havinga springtiring-pin, the spring'- latch Y, and the sliding bolt N, geared intothe toothed disk G, in combination-therewith and adapted to be rotatedby the operation of said disk, substantially as set forth.

4. In a repeating tire-arm, a stock havi ill p receptacle D, incombination with the slnt ingbreech-block having movement across the topof receptacle and in a chamber partially inclosi ng it, andbreech-operating mechanism consisting of toothed disks G II, rack E,slidcbar K, having a trigger K L, the spring S, the latch P, the stops'1 T, and the releasing-stop V, arranged for operation substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal.

C. W. M. SMITH, OTIS V. SAWYER.

